The Remarkable Robot
Warning--mature themes, mention of abuse I woke up from a bad dream I couldn't remember. Just before midnight, I ended up in the bathroom, looking at myself in the mirror."Are…[...]
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A Green Plastic Watering Can
Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump. A head on a chest. An ear pressed right under a breast. Skin against skin, a heart singing its rhythm for a mind. Emotions meeting thoughts. Authentic…[...]
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Desk Research
They say your life truly begins when you hit thirty. To celebrate this milestone, Darma—who prided himself on being a "massive reader" despite the stack of unread paperbacks mocking him…[...]
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Finding Home
I don’t remember when I started waking up feeling tired. Its been a while now. In fact, tired doesn’t even begin to express where I’m at. "Perhaps weary is a…[...]
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Promises of Dust and Ruin
Dodge City, Kansas – Autumn 1934 “How bad is it?” James Whitmore asked, though he already knew. “Three thousand, two hundred dollars,” Thomas Brennan said with a steady voice. He’d…[...]
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I am a gay Italian real vampire, I drink blood , nice to meet you what do you drink?
This is a true story that appeared in some small Italian newspapers, in a village called Meldola. The protagonist is Horus, born Jacob Dimitri, an Italian gay vampire, head of…[...]
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by any other name
“SHAPESHIFTER ON BOARD!” I screech, climbing down from the crow’s nest. “MONSTER! MONSTER ON BOARD!” It’s the dead of night aboard the Roger’s Revenge. The crew begins scrambling around, lighting…[...]
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Vino, Verdad, y Vergüenza – Wine, Truth, and Shame
The trouble began with the second bottle of Rioja. The four were seated at a wrought-iron table on the rooftop terrace. The air smelled of orange blossoms and jasmine. Below…[...]
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For The Ages
“Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome back to the Connor Pratt Show! I’m your host, Connor Pratt, and joining us here tonight are two very special guests—one a complete unknown making his…[...]
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The Castle Under the Stars
A drop of water pelting my nose wakes me to another monotonous day. Crisp spring air carries notes of last night’s rainfall. If there’s ever a reprieve from the rain,…[...]
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Magical Chaos of a Newbie Witch
“Well, this could have gone better,” Clark wheezed out, having fallen to his knees on the floor.I was frozen, petrified, and confused as shit. All I know is that the…[...]
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Confusion’s Nephew
Confusion couldn’t figure out how one was meant to skate at Rockefeller Center. She didn’t know where to rent the skates. Where the ticket booth was. She didn’t know how…[...]
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Seasons out of time
Goodbye to YouThe words came to Eli Carter as if from another life.He sat alone in the dim hush of his childhood bedroom, with the words, Goodbye to you, my…[...]
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An Unfamiliar Winter
“You need to listen.” Elias whispered against the rotting timber of the doorway. Dmitri had placed him there to escape the pressing crowds in the street and the cold of…[...]
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Green eyes
Frozen, I muster Mason’s face, its lower half hidden behind a thick layer of lead, where his helmet intended to protect his dear life. Only that this helmet has just…[...]
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Just us three
I was near the water’s edge once again, my favorite place to be. It didn’t matter which city or state I was in. As long as I could hear the…[...]
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End of Bouncy Pink Life
End of Bouncy Pink Life By Will Willoughby Once upon a time, two bouncy boy toys lived a wonderful life on the shady porch of a sunny house facing a…[...]
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Promises Kept
It was a Tuesday evening when the wind stopped blowing. It hadn't stopped for nine straight days, scouring everything it touched with dark sand. For nine days, James had been…[...]
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The Disruptors 1.3
Her phone vibrated.Unknown Number: There you are.Something brushed lightly against her shoulder.When Jess turned, Victoria was already standing beside her.Not across the room. Right beside her. The tightness started in…[...]
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Underground Words
After a long night traveling, we’ve finally made it to my grandmother’s house in New York. I’m staying over for the week since the hotels me and my friends were…[...]
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The Curse of Knowing
Perhaps it’d been the air, or something to be imagined by the attendees, but it felt as though a thick miasma had been cast over the processions. “He’d been a…[...]
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A Drink with Death
I was rotting in a dive bar on Christmas Eve when the goddess of death found me. Facing away from the door, I felt a wave of winter chill flush…[...]
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Step into Silence
Quiet.That was the only rule at The Hollow Pines Writing Retreat. No talking, no phones, no unnecessary noise. Just ink, silence, and the slow unraveling of the self.Margot Eaves had…[...]
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Men on the Moon
Nobody at NASA gave a goddamn about the weather in Jersey. This fact, as true and as simple as it was, had not stopped my Aunt Rosie from pacing around…[...]
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The “What If” Lives of Jeanie the Dreamer
'Let’s have no two ways about it. Jeanie really could be a twat.'El leaned over the lectern and looked the front row of mourners straight in the eyes. She had…[...]
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45 Seconds
Hey, Tanner. It’s me again. Just checking in; I’ll try to keep it short. Was really missing you at our last game. Tony can’t catch for shit. Coach even asked…[...]
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Evening Light
The girl who holds the candle never showed up. Scarlet was supposed to be done at five. The manager promised her that by five o’clock, she’d be all set, because…[...]
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Darkness Before the Sunrise
I’ve been best friends with three girls for five years. Up until September eighth of 2023, it was senior sunrise and I went with, my current friends, Noemi, Angela, Gabby,…[...]
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1898 at the Lighthouse – A Whale of a Secret
The majestic whale who had seen many decades was floating with the swells near the lighthouse. She knew her time was nearing, when her essence would go on to another…[...]
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Another Brick in the Wall
Another Brick in the Wall “Miss Chandler, Miss Chandler. The boys are at it again.” Third-grader Tali Grumble hurried over to her teacher at recess. “What are they doing now?”…[...]
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Rescuing the Princess
Before Link could walk, he could already expertly manipulate a dual analog stick and wield a Wii remote as if it were an extension of his arm. When Link was…[...]
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I will always love you 80’s
A spotlight shines in my eyes and wakes me from my daydream. I am standing on a narrow stairway at the side of a stage. It appears to be a high school…[...]
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Scratch that Itch
What is a kiss? I’m not looking for a life changing answer. I’m curious, sincerely. It’s not like I haven’t received pecks from my family. Mom gives me good kisses…[...]
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Lost Connection
“Nah, bro. That’s crazy!” Levi couldn't believe his ears. He chomped down on a cheese puff, feeling the artificial cheese cling to his fingers. The orange dust was everywhere, but…[...]
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Property of Calypso
The twelfth tree in front of Allen Redvers Middle School bloomed pink two months early. It was only March; the flowers were the effect of the striped blue-and-yellow crochet wrapped…[...]
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Just When You Think You Know Her
I was always the first to bed. I would ask if she’d like to join, but she’d always have late night things to take care of, things she couldn’t get…[...]
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Woodland Avenue, Brookside
It's taken me a long time to think seriously about this former friend and someone who passed away at eighteen years old. He's someone I've never forgotten about, and he…[...]
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A Fable: The Gardener and the Potter
A Fable: The Gardener and the Potter Samuel, a slightly stooped, aging gentleman of humble means in a humble village, visited with his eldest daughter. “Is all well with you…[...]
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Unexpected Betrayal
I hopped off the school bus, hitting the ground at a dead run ahead of my two younger brothers; dropped my book bag at the house door and ran down…[...]
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One Size Fits
Britney offered her friends a plastic container filled with cookies made ‘all by myself.’Kerri held up her hand and shook her head. She’d tried the last and previous batches. Friend…[...]
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Little Boy Blue and His Striped Balloon
“Lilia. You’ve gotta think. Where did you see Thomas last?”Lilia sighed heavily, staring blankly down at her palms. “We went to the museum.”.“What … museum?” “In the woods. Oh, ma. I’m…[...]
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Kings of the Jungle Gym
The sun beat down upon the black asphalt of the playground where the many ages of children mingled during their last afternoon recess. The sounds of basketballs bouncing, and chatter filled…[...]
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Sewer Pipe Village
Dad raised Robbie sternly. Every man was sir or mister. And every man, whether as stern as Dad or as kindly as Uncle George, was to be obeyed without question.…[...]
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My Worst Enemy
Max liked to sit alone at lunchtime on the playground, which was enclosed by wooden boards with red paint flaking off. His favorite thing to do was to listen to the rhythmic squeak of the…[...]
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Perilous Playground of Pubescents
Perilous Playground of Pubescents“Impossible. You can't do it, Mrs K. we know you can't!!”These little 5th grade shits, she thought, always taunting their substitute teacher. Mrs K was enduring this latest…[...]
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Call Me Isabelle
"Call me Ishmael.” Kai’s teacher asked the class why this was one of the most important lines in literature. He knew that it was one of those lines that came off like…[...]
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Lynley Strikes Again
My name is Lynley. I am eleven years old, and I attend middle school. My teacher, Miss Galloway, asked us to write a story about a conversation we shouldn’t have heard, either…[...]
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Diamonds, At Least
Ben pulled Warren aside. He checked to see if anyone could hear. This was important.“I have to tell you something. But you have to promise you won’t tell anyone else.…[...]
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Skela’s Tale of a Human’s Encounter
My family is just informed that a new patron is moving in across from us. They are all anyone ever talks about nowadays. Even the kids at my school whisper…[...]
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Unfamiliar Experience
Chapter 1: Started at SchoolNine-year-old Ava woke up worried and unsettled. She hurried to rush off to school that she loved alot just to ease some of the pain. She…[...]
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A Different Kind of Ruler
I look up at the clock and it is ten minutes after five; a quiet dinner time in the middle of a busy week. I can’t wait for dinner. I hope they…[...]
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A Joke Gone Too Far
Do you want me to start from the beginning? Okay, sure, but promise me you won’t get mad. It all started around lunchtime, I was in the cafeteria with my…[...]
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The Stages
CHAPTER 1: “Oh come on! What are you, scared?” “I’m not scared,” says the teen girl reluctantly. “It’s just that, we are so far from home and it’s – it’s…[...]
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My Heart Belongs to You–How Sad
“You remember him throwing the ketchup bottle against the wall but don’t remember what their argument was about? You expect us to believe that?”“That did stand out in my mind.…[...]
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Fifteen-Love
Claude knocked softly on the door.“Entrez.”He pushed the door open with his shoulder and placed a tray of oeufs brouilles and tea on the bedside table. His grandmother put down…[...]
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Scratch Your Back
I have heard people say that crying is therapeutic. Good for your soul. It releases endorphins or hormones to help your body cope with stress and emotions. Part of the…[...]
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Pitched In
Brady’s mom never missed a sign-up, much to his dismay. Another soccer season loomed over his ten-year old head, as he laced up his cleats and secured two shinguards neatly…[...]
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Up to Scratch
Before you enter the drama department at Daniel Webster Middle, just above the door, there is a beautifully engraved wooden sign from England. Ms. Hargreaves’ (drama teacher) prize possession reads:…[...]
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A Deserved Ghosting
A Deserved Ghosting I had taken it a little too far. I always take it a little too far! And this time, I lost a potentially awesome connection with an…[...]
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It Was All a Dream
Brooke sat with her brown hair tucked behind her ears, her green eyes watched her friend’s text, and her fingers flew across the keyboard just as fast. She wasn’t even…[...]
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Being a Champion
Kiera rubbed her arms, hoping her gloved hands would melt the goosebumps off her arms, but knowing they were more a product of nerves than the November chill. Unlike all…[...]
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Phaedric’s Legacy
Phaedric’s Legacy Nan was looking forward to my apprenticeship and I was excited about starting. I didn’t think of my grandmother as old, but rather ageless. She was certainly not young, but…[...]
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Colouring Outside of the Lines
School brought the smell of the herd; brown leather straps, regulation pens, black and blue pulled out of a multi-pack, ‘rather see than be ya’, Purple Cow… And Mrs Arnot…Mary…[...]
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Thank You . . .
THANK YOU . . . by Kelly Ann Williams Dear Obnoxious little brother, Thank you for reminding me that if I kill you, I’d be grounded for the rest of my…[...]
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The Men who Raised 500 Boys
What is the definition of an unsung hero? To me, it is a person who blesses others without asking for acknowledgement or anything in return. Two men who helped shape…[...]
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The Traditional Summer Crime
August 22nd, 2019 “I don’t want to do this.” “Oh, shut up,” Melanie responded. “We’ll be fine. It’s tradition to go on the hottest day of the year every summer;…[...]
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Bubblegum Bat-paste
Hanging upside down for twenty-four minutes really had to suck. The thought made Brady’s head swim—probably because all the blood in his body had rushed there two days ago when…[...]
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The Starr Story
The fairy council gathered along with King Asher, the ogre king and Queen Heidii, the elf queen. “So… are we all going to ignore the threat?” King Asher demanded, breaking…[...]
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Fire & Water
Lu paced across the floor of her room. There was no doubt she would pass tonight’s Final Trials, but would she rank First Mage? Either way, tomorrow she would be finished at…[...]
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„The Calm in the Storm“
The sun was still low in the sky when Jacob and Caleb arrived at the docks, the sea stretching out before them in shades of silver and blue. Jacob walked…[...]
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A Fist of Water
“Hey, you stayin’ warm over there, Liam?” shouts my great uncle over the steady thrum of the wind barreling across the beach. Even though it’s only October, I’m in full…[...]
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The Dissidents
THE DISSIDENTS It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation. HERMAN MELVILLE Confident in their King, the natural numbers enjoyed at their ease their domain which was so…[...]
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Mirror, Mirror
Mia sat on the edge of her grandmother's bed, absently picking at the loose threads on the quilt that covered the mattress. Her mother and Aunt Janie stood by the…[...]
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The trumpet
The Trumpet By: John Dover “You’ve been staring at that thing for over an hour, Freddie.” Freddie finally blinked, the rough denim of his jacket sleeve dabbing away the welcome…[...]
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I Hate Math…Almost as Much as Dragons
My name is Felix Carter. I’m your average seventh-grade teenager. I'm just in limbo between adult and child, not ever knowing where I belong. I go to school, but I…[...]
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The Diamond Ring
Sam slumped in the dugout, the Texas sun scorching his back, yet unable to warm the chill running through him. The sounds of laughter and shouts from the baseball diamond…[...]
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Pick of Destiny
Pick of DestinyBy Nicole Ney **Warning: this story contains harsh language and subject matter that may not be suitable for everybody. Please read at your own risk**Those curves. That neck.That mahogany…[...]
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A Walk in the Hereafter
“A Walk in the Hereafter” It’s taking a lot longer than I thought it would. Of course, there’s no guidebook for dead people, at least as far as I know.…[...]
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The Unwanted Unicorn
“The Unwanted Unicorn” By Edward J. McCoul It all started on a perfectly ordinary Tuesday. Twelve-year-old Max was home alone, nose-deep in a video game when he heard a loud,…[...]
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Liam the Lovable, But Fearful, Leprechaun
“Liam the Lovable, But Fearful, Leprechaun” By Edward J. McCoul There are two things Liam O’Shaughnessy loved more than anything in the world: gold and friendship. And there were two…[...]
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Adolescent lessons in dating and popularity
Adolescent lessons in dating and popularity You can say that I was a misfit growing up since I didn’t fit in with others my age. My worldview evolved from a…[...]
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The Girl with the Ocean eyes
I was a loser. I was a too-tall, overweight, closeted girl with no social skills. I had spent two years trapped inside the house with my family hiding from an…[...]
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Shattered Certainties
The universe had always been a place of cold, hard truths. Being an engineer and a committed agnostic, I had always rejected the idea of a higher power, considering it…[...]
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The Wicked Redhead
She wasn’t really wicked, though. She just needed some understanding and a lighter touch. She was sensitive. And smart. When the wranglers came to her stall to turn her out…[...]
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The price of popularity:
By Cohdee Dimarco, 14 My breath shuddered as the icy wind lashed against my skin, its cruel touch biting into my thick curls now glazed with ice. I stood uncomfortably…[...]
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The Apology I Didn’t Owe
The courtroom was quiet except for the occasional shuffle of papers and the distant murmur of voices in the hallway. Mia sat nervously on one of the hard wooden chairs,…[...]
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The Dinner Lady
Trigger warning: paedophilia How can people not have faces? Of course, every single person has their own recognisable set of features that define their individuality, but Harry could never bring…[...]
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Friendship Lives Long
It was a sunny afternoon when I first heard the whispers. I was the most popular girl in school, mostly because I was the richest. I had a lot of…[...]
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Dougal McCoogan vs. Santa Clause
Dougal McCoogan had made it. Finally, after walking for weeks, through blizzards and blinding cold, he had done it. The dishevelled, skinny boy looked down on the scene below him…[...]
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